


A Thorny Rose (Bucky/Reader)

by zozolively



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15281022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zozolively/pseuds/zozolively
Summary: In 1942, at a small bar in Brooklyn, New York, a boy and girl danced their hearts away. Winifred, also known as Winnie was a kind spirit ever since she was born. After catching the attention of a certain James "Bucky" Barmes in a bar, sparks flew in an instant. But the war was rising, and soon Bucky left. After a lab accident with Dr. Erskine and Howard Stark, Winnie's normal life takes an odd turn. Unknown to her at the time, she had unlocked secrets deep within herself.Flash-forward about seventy years, and Winnie is reunited with her friend Steve Rogers. But when she is surprised with a reunion of her and her old love, her world comes crashing down to a painful truth: Bucky can't remember. Add the pressure of a global search for the Winter Soldier with conflicts between the Avengers, and a threat from Hydra, and the clock ticks down for the couple.*** This takes place after "The Age of Ultron" and has a similar plot line to "Captain America: Civil War" but a different ending to that, and differs more from the plot on from there. ***





	1. Leave Me and My Celibacy Alone

"You need to get laid," Nat swirled her drink around in her hand.

I groaned at her words, laying my head on my arms. "Leave me and my celibacy alone, Nat."

"I'm just saying. You're so stressed, Win," she had a good point.

I could barely roll my shoulders because they were so tense. But I would not go around sleeping with people because my shoulders hurt. I wasn't deprived enough to use that excuse... yet. "You know why I'm stressed, so leave me alone," I gave her a pointed excuse. "In fact, you're stressing me out even more with all your criticizing."

"Why don't you talk to Pepper about a few days, then?"

"Not right now, Nat. We've got a huge project right now and I can't just bail on her. She is my niece after all."

Nat rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, I've gotta help Stark out with something," I walked her to the door, hugging her on the way.

"Drive safe and kick Stark's ass for me," I winked making the redhead laugh.

"I'll talk to you later, Winnie," with that she walked down the hall, opening her phone for notifications.

Leaning against the now closed door, I sighed. Maybe I did need to get laid... Dragging that thought out of my mind, I plopped down onto the couch, taking a swig from my tea.

The newslady droned on about some storm headed towards the east coast, explaining in detail about every little thing. Her raven beehive and revealing cleavage bounced as she enthusiastically moved about the screen. I clicked the tv off and heaved a sigh. I shut my eyes, thinking back to what must not be said. Not even Steve. I felt bad about lying to Natasha, but no one could know about me and Bucky. It would put us both in danger.

( _Flashback_ )

_1940_

_The rain poured down in waves, thundering against the windows of the old bar. I ran in soaking wet. My overcoat was long, with buttons down to my thighs. My curled hair was flattened down due to the rain, and my shoes squeaked against the floors._

_"Larry, I need to use your restroom," I called out to the man behind the bar._ _He was a big fella, with greasy slicked-back hair and warm brown eyes. I had been working at Larry's for the past year or so, waitressing and whatnot._

_Larry just waved a hand at me. "Do what you like, Winifred. There's barely anybody here right now."_

_I nodded and rushed off to the back room. My outfit underneath was luckily still nice and dry, revealing a knee-length dress. It was ruby red, with a lacy folded collar and little lace patterns over the waist section like a belt. I fixed my hair up into a curved updo, a nice swoop on the top of my head and a side bun. Grabbing the waist-apron from the hanger, I ran to the restroom with a strong need to relieve myself._

_A few minutes later I returned to the bar area, my apron tied nicely behind my back. I smiled at Larry as I passed by him, and made my way to the tables, taking orders from a few of the early birds. It was a usual night, the crowd not too large or loud. It wasn't until ten or eleven when things would get there. That was when the army men would come in looking at the pretty ladies who came for their nighttime gossips. Fridays at Larry's were vibrant at this time, with people and music filling the bar with a feeling of pure ecstasy._

_"What can I do to get a dance with a pretty lady like you?" a gentleman came up behind me, placing a hand on my waist. He began to rub his hand, making me feel very uncomfortable._

_"Sir, I suggest you take your hands off of me before I call Larry over here," I warned, shoving his hands away. I turned to see a muscular man looking back at me, his body quite large. He had beady black eyes like a rat and his hair was so greasy we could cook it on the stove._

_"Now why would you go disturbing that man's night, when we can have all the fun we want right here?" He grabbed my rear end, making me jump and hit him across the head with my tray. "Leave me alone!" I screamed, pushing him away._

_Larry noticed our little commotion and made his way over. "Is there a problem here?"_

_"Yeah, this little bitch thinks she can do whatever she likes, disturbing my peaceful night," Beady Eyes spat._

_I scowled at him. "I may be a bitch, but at least I'm not a sissy."_

_With that comment, the man lunged at me only to be held back by Larry, who then tossed him outside._ _"You've got ten seconds to get outta here before i send my boys after ya."_

_I'd never seen a man run so fast._

_"_ _Thank you, Larry, sorry for the trouble."_

_Luckily we didn't cause too much interruption, as the music was still playing and the people were still dancing and drinking._

_"Don't sweat it, kiddo," Larry chuckled. "I'd chuck any guy who does that to a nice lady outta here." I smiled and thanked him again before returning to my duties._

_"That was impressive," a voice behind me said._

_"Not again," I groaned, preparing myself for another hit with a tray when I turned around. To my surprise, the man was not intimidating, nor was he threatening._

_"Hi there. I'm James Barnes, but please call me Bucky."_

_(End of flashback_ )

I ran a hand through my hair a few times before tossing it up into a messy top knot. Thinking about him alone made my heart race. All I wanted to do was see him again. I had lived enough of my life, and now just wanted the man I loved back. My heart cracked a little bit more thinking about what Bucky had gone through. It was only a couple of months ago I had even learned he was alive by Steve. Steve only knew Bucky and I were friends, like him and I. That's what everyone else believed, too. No one knew about our feelings for each other, and as it turns out, Bucky might not even remember, either. But God did I hope he did.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Steve's voice came from behind sounding casual.

I turned to see him leaning against my door frame on his arm with a small smile.

He was still in his Captain America outfit, but his hair was a bit disheveled and he looked exhausted. "Hey."

I made my way over to the kitchen, grabbing the steak tacos from the warmed oven. I made him a plate and sat him down to eat. I had a habit of keeping leftovers in my fridge after continuously housing the Avengers and from having Steve as a roommate several years ago.

"This is why you're my favorite," Steve's voice was muffled from the food in his mouth.

"This is why I'm everyone's favorite. They use me for my food," I laughed as Steve nodded in agreement.

A comfortable silence settled over us I watched my friend eat. Steve and I were introduced by Bucky all that time ago, and to say he was surprised to see me seventy years later is an understatement. I had to explain the incident that had occurred with Dr. Esrkine. Nick Fury had originally contacted me when they found him, thinking that Steve and I would be in relation since we'd both had Erskine's serum in our veins. Although that wasn't the case, Steve and I had met before, and we go back in touch. In fact, Steve used to be my roommate before he started staying in his own apartment.

"You look exhausted, Rogers. You wanna take the guest room?" I offered, furrowing my brows as he stifled a yawn.

"No it's alright, I'll be fine."

I gave him a look and made my way towards the guest room. "There are clean sheets on the bed, and I have a pair of everyone's clothes for when you superheroes need some cleaning up," I turned around to smile at him.

"You're the best, Win. I owe ya."

I was going to respond but Steve had already fallen asleep under the covers, not bothering to remove his suit. "Goodnight, soldier." I moved his hair away from his eyes and turned off the lamp next to the bed.

 

 

The next day Pepper called me about the Manson Project and asked me to come to her office as soon as possible. My job was unique since I not only managed major projects and events but also worked under Nick Fury and Tony Stark as the main medical practitioner for the Avengers. It wasn't a pretty job, but I was respected by SHIELD and the Avengers as well because of it.

Leaving a note and a box of frozen waffles on the counter, I quickly put on a pair of slim black pantsuit pants and a loose white button-up. Putting my hair up into a ponytail, I clipped a gold necklace on, with matching earrings and grabbing my cream colored coat. I did minimal makeup, just covering up my eye bags and acne scars. Chapstick was an essential, but other than that I was done. Running out the door, I slipped on my winter boots and tossed my black pumps into my purse. I swear I could hide a dead body in my purse it was so large.

"Good morning, Miss Gray," the receptionist welcomed, giving me her million-dollar smile.

"Good morning, Pricilla. How's Dorothy?" I smiled back, pressing the up button on the elevator.

"Still screaming," she chuckled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

I gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, hopefully, it ends soon."

Pricilla nodded, but our conversation was cut short by the closing elevator doors.

Chaos erupted as soon as the doors opened to my floor. I saw people running all over, each one having to get their jobs done by the upcoming deadline. I spotted Pepper by my office having a heated conversation with my assistant. I made my way over as fast as I could and felt a headache coming on.

"What the hell is happening here, Pepper?" I exclaimed, tossing my bag into my office.

"The Mansons requested to move up the deadline from Friday to Tuesday," Pepper said, closing the door behind her.

I hung my coat up on a hook by the door and plopped down onto my chair. Rubbing my temples I tried to think up a solution. "You mean tomorrow Tuesday?"

Pepper nodded, sitting down on the chair across from me. "They want the analysis of the new planes we are setting up, including pricing, materials, time, et cetera. They want the numbers. And," she took a deep breath, meeting my eyes. "They want a blueprint. Not the completely finished project, but a rough draft so they can imagine what it will look like."

My face morphed into annoyance and exhaustion. I couldn't believe they sprung this on us so suddenly. "Why are the Mansons so important again?"

"They were one of the original investors in the aero-engineering wing, and Tony promised them input in our newest design."

"Fucking Stark," I groaned.

"Pepper I'll be back, I've got to go talk to a certain Tony Stark."

Pepper looked at me with horror. "No! We need your help on the blueprints, Winnie!"

I hesitated for a second before remembering something I had luckily done when the project was just getting on its feet. "Look in my file cabinet," I pointed to a cabinet in my desk while I changed out of my boots. "Under "Manson" there should be a rough blueprint I had Danny and his guys work out over the weekend so I could pinpoint what the cost and materials would turn out to be, approximately. Lucky for you it's in that drawer. As for the numbers, talk to my assistant, Molly. She's been running a few of them, so work your way from there. I'll help when I get back."

I waved goodbye to Pepper as I stormed out of my office and towards the elevator. I pressed the penthouse button, smoke coming out of my ears.

"STARK!" I yelled, my voice echoing throughout the penthouse.

"Why are you shouting for Stark?" Thor came out from the kitchen area holding a large mug of coffee.

"Where is he?" I grabbed the poor Asgardian's collar, pulling his head down to my level.

"With Banner in the science-y room," Thor grumbled, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"Thank you, Thor," I smiled patting his head. "Wow, your hair is so long now."

With that comment, the god ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it. "Indeed."

"You know," I started, turning to him with a beaming smile. "I could braid your hair."

"Braid?" he looked at me incredulously. "You can do that?"

"Yup," I responded, popping the p. "Want me to?"

Thor nodded his head vigorously, his blond locks going crazy.

I clapped my hands together in excitement, until realizing my murderous task at hand. "Ok, give me twenty-maybe thirty minutes to go murder Stark. Then I'll come back for your hair."

Thor nodded with a solemn expression and sighed. "Make his parting quick, I'm going to be sick of my hair until then."

I gave the large man a side hug before storming back off towards the billionaire who would be getting quite an earful from his favorite female doctor.

"STARK!" I shouted again, drawing out the A for effect.

I made my way to the labs where I saw the man I was seeking along with the wonderful Dr. Banner. "Bruce, lovely to see you," I smiled at him, to which he smiled back. "And you," I turned and pointed a finger at the other man in the room.

His eyes widened and he stepped back slightly.

I think my voice had gone a little "Smeagol/Gollum." You know, the "my precious" in a scary whisper voice?

"Hi there, how can I help you?" I heard his voice crack a bit as he tried to keep his subtle fear under wraps.

I almost growled. _Almost_.

I stomped towards him and scowled. "You moved the Manson deal forwards?!"

Tony's eyes widened further. "Jeff was wondering when it would happen, and being the considerate person I am, I didn't want to make him wait-"

"Considerate?" I spat, my eyes narrowed into slits. I think my voice went back to Smeagol a little bit. "You don't have a _clue_ what it takes Stark Industries to work on a project like this! Pepper and I have been killing ourselves over making it perfect, thinking we still had a few more days to perfect. But NO! You had to go and make sure we couldn't because you don't consider the consequences of your actions, Tony! You just do what you think is best before realizing the true repercussions. Do you know what Pepper and I sacrificed for this project? For this company? I worked under your father for fuck's sake! I've spent my life trying to figure out what exactly happened to me, all while helping my drunk-ass sister take care of Pepper and help you get over your parents' death! And you know what else? I keep it all inside, to be strong. For Pepper, for you, for Steve. God knows what I'd do if I tried to think about my life. So you know what? You need to think before you act or else you'll lose not just me, but the things most important to you. And you know what I'm talking about."

With my speech over I heaved in a breath and closed my eyes. Opening them, I turned around cautiously to see Bruce looking at me, dumbfounded, and several others too. I hadn't even noticed Natasha, Steve, Clint, or the others come in. I was too focused on giving Tony a piece of my mind. Looking at each of the people in the room in the eye, even Stark, I walked out of the room with my head held high.

My mother always said you should always leave with courage and grace, no matter the situation you're leaving. I heard someone running after me, but I kept walking. My heels made that fabulous clicking sound that made me feel like I was on top of the world, and even with what happened back there and me spilling too much about my personal self. In a way, I felt better. I think it was good to get it out. I thought back to everyone's faces, the shock evident even on a usually passive Natasha.

Maybe she was right about me being stressed... Maybe I do need to get laid...


	2. Memories

I realized about thirty steps out of Tony's lab that I may have been too harsh. After all, he had done a lot for me as I had for him, and I thought higher of him than I made it seem now. Luckily enough the idiot followed after me, giving me a chance to apologize.

"Winnie!" His voice echoed throughout the hallway.

I stopped to let him catch up and turned to face the bearded man. "Tony, I-"

"I have to tell you something," Even out of breath, he sounded serious.

I stopped whatever I was going to say and nodded for him to continue. 

"You may want to sit down..." he motioned to the chair beside me against the wall. "You remember how Steve was going to tell you something huge? But never said anything and started acting all weird around you until like two weeks ago?" 

I rolled my eyes and nodded.  _Way to bring up a painful memory, Stark._

"Well, the reason was that-"

"Stark! Where have you been?" Nick Fury's voice boomed, deflating any excitement that might have been inside of me.

"I should head back to Pepper," I patted Tony's shoulder and nodded a hello to Fury. "Tell me at your party tonight, OK?"

Tony's frustrated features dropped into one of horror. "No no no, I need to tell you n-"

"See you tonight!" I waved, already inside the elevator on my way back down to Pepper. I didn't think much of Tony's worried expression when I left, though I should've. It was quite normal for him to be so anxious or overreacting even about things, so I didn't question it.  

I made my way finally back to the office. There I found Pepper talking in a violent manner to a person on the phone who I at the moment pitied.

"I don't care if it takes a week to make. I want it done and installed tomorrow or else we're never making another deal again, Johnson. Understood?" Pepper nodded in triumph, and slammed the phone down into its box, making me jump.

"How's it going so far?" I asked, leaning against the door of her office. After Tony had given her the main role of Stark Industries, she had taken his old office and made it her own. Mine was a bit more colorful and organized with files and containers everywhere. But Pepper kept hers all neat in piles on her desk and in her cupboards. We had a weird mix of differences and similarities personality-wise. 

Our looks were also similar. Being a triplet, I looked like Pepper's mother, Clara and her other Aunt, Adeline. Adeline and I were much closer since Clara was never around when we got older. Adeline and I also shared many looks, with our hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair. Clara had those same hazel eyes as our family but had more reddish blonde hair like our mother. Pepper got those big blue eyes from her father but got the red hair from her mother. Although we didn't have similar coloring, you could still tell Pepper and I was family.

"It's better than it was," Pepper sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Tony called before I was talking with Johnson Maltoni, he wanted you to meet him before the party tonight.

I nodded but stayed silent. Thinking back to what he was trying to say earlier, I realized I was truly a bit curious about what he wanted to tell me. Being about ninety-six years old, I hadn't had much excitement as one would expect. I mostly took care of Tony and Pepper and helped each of the Avengers whenever they needed me. The Avengers were part of the small group of people I trusted. Maybe itas because I knew many of them better than they'd like to admit, or  maybe  because I fit in with them, I didn't know. But I always felt trusted there, and that was a wonderful feeling to have.

"I'm gonna go work on the decorators and engineers to see if they can work through the night," I said as I stood up from the wall. Pepper nodded, too engrossed in her laptop's work to look up. 

 

 

After a long day of figuring everything out, I finally went home. I did not want to go to Tony's party, but it was necessary for me to be there. I had to engage with the elite people there and to help keep everything in order. I threw my purse down onto the couch and hung my coat up on the stand before going to shower and get ready. 

I gathered enough dresses over my many years to have quite the collection. In my closet was everything from night-gowns to cocktail dresses to evening gowns. Finding a black long-sleeved dress with white detailing at the top, I slipped on black pumps and my dog tag necklace which I rarely took off. Well, the necklace wasn't technically mine, but Steve gave them to me anyways. He thought Bucky would want me to have them. I slipped on some silver stud earrings and redid my makeup. With straightened hair and a wool coat, I made my way back to Stark Industries.

"I think that covers everything for your speech," I said, figuring the order of paragraphs on the tablet. My hair was pulled back into its usual chignon, away from my face and eyes.  

"Wonderful, thanks Win," Pepper smiled, taking the tablet from my hand. 

I nodded in reply and turned around to make my way towards the main lounge. After Thor's unexpected visit earlier today, I hadn't even realized he was on a mission. He said he was looking for "a large purple man..."

I'm sure whatever it is, it's nothing...

"Pepper, pretty much everyone's here," Tony waltzed in, taking a gulp of whiskey. "You ready for your speech?" 

Pepper nodded, and the two exited the room to give their speeches. She didn't look nearly as nervous as she did this morning, so I was happy. All I wanted for her was happiness, so seeing her frazzled made me anxious myself.  

"Winnie?" Steve's warm voice interrupted my thoughts.  

"Oh, hey," I smiled, giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "What's up?" 

"I really need to tell you something," Steve had a hard face, his mouth set into a stern line. 

I smiled at him and said, "Of course, why don't-" 

"Miss Gray, you've been requested for in the main lounge," a waiter interrupted.

"Of course," I turned to Steve. "Can it wait a few minutes?"

"I really think y-" My friend started again, only to be interrupted by that same waiter. 

"Please hurry, Miss Gray. They sounded quite urgent."

"Oh, alright. I'll be back," I gave Steve a small wave and followed the waiter out to the impatient guest wanting my company.

"Winifred! How are you darling?" Miss Angelica Morse opened her arms wide in greeting.

"Lovely, just lovely," I gave her the polite kiss on each cheek in greeting. "You get more gorgeous every time I see you, Angelica."

"Well, I'm not the only one!" She patted my cheek with her aged hand. "Look at you, always such a charmer."

I gave the woman a broad smile. "Thank you. Unfortunately, I must head back. Steve needed something, and he sounded quite anxious."

Angelica frowned. I had known her for quite some time, and she knew me quite well. "You think it has something to do with Bucky?"

I furrowed my brows. "Possibly. I know he thinks he saw him just recently, but I have yet to see for myself."

"You better follow that boy and see for yourself. I know how much he meant to you."

"Indeed I should, thank you, Angelica."

"Anytime, darling," Angelica waved goodbye as I turned to leave. 

She had a good point. Steve knew Bucky for quite some time, he would know if he saw Bucky. I just had such a hard time believing it. It took so long to adjust to the idea of my love being dead, so going back against that now seemed impossible. Plus, God knows if he's the same as he was seventy years ago. Based on what Steve said, Bucky didn't even recognize him, his  _best friend_. How could he recognize me, someone he'd only known for a few years?

"Steve, you ready to go?" I asked, approaching him.

He nodded and guided me towards his car down towards the lower levels. 

"What is this about?" I inquired, trying to get a word out of my silent friend. 

"You'll see when we get there," He grumbled, making me roll my eyes. Sometimes the man could be so moody. 

We got off the main road and arrived at farmlands. Steve drove us to an old house surrounded by the farmland. It felt familiar, like an old memory trying to resurface. Golden fields of corn stretched on for a few miles, and the specific farm we were approaching had a very familiar white farmhouse. My head hurt as I tried to draw the memories to the surface, yet they would not appear. 

"Where are we?" I asked, shutting the car door and following Steve into the barn. 

"Your old farmhouse. The one you showed us back in the forties," He said. 

I glanced towards the house again as memories started to flood my head. I smiled as I remembered my sister marrying here, Pepper running around as a young child. I saw Bucky and I dancing in the kitchen of the farmhouse. I looked over at the old red barn that had once held a few horses and other animals. The farmhouse wasn't in too bad condition, with a bit of rotting wood on the side and roof, but not too dangerous for people. The second floor that held the bedrooms also brought back memories. Bucky and I made love in one of those rooms. My room, to be exact. 

I had forgotten how much I loved my room here. It was the attic, the uppermost floor in the house. With vaulted ceilings and two large windows on each end, it was bright and airy. White wooded walls and natural oak floors, plus a king size bed in the center. It was pretty simple and not too big, but still fit the bed and a cozy reading nook comfortably. 

"Win?" Steve's voice chased away my memories. 

I glanced at him with a tight smile. There were plenty of happy memories, but there were also the painful ones, the reasons I left this place behind.

Steve made his way to the front door and went inside. It may have been just a figment of my imagination, but I saw his hand shake just the slightest bit. Cocking up an eyebrow, I followed the man inside, not prepared for what I was about to see in the slightest.

There, on the floor of my nearly empty living room was a brunet man with his head in his hands. His chest heaved as he took several deep breaths. Silent, he lifted his head and I did what I had been dying to do for decades. I looked up from his fisted hands to his face and met his beautiful blue eyes. 

"Bucky." I breathed.


	3. Hallelujah, My Ass

"Bucky," I breathed.

His beautiful blue eyes glanced over at Steve and then back to me. His brows frowned and Bucky put his head back into his hands.

"He's been having difficulty with his memories, but we found him," Steve made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass for water. 

"How... W-Why..." I struggled to get my words out much further than that as I stared at the man I thought died. 

Steve said nothing as he watched the two of us. He sipped his drink, not saying a word. 

I went to go sit next to him. After several years of handling Tony's anxiety attacks and Natasha's PTSD, etc, I knew not to get all touchy or anything. But dear Lord did I want to. I sat across from him, peeling off my big black pumps.

Bucky watched the action carefully, observing everything I did. 

I then sat cross-legged and leaned forwards a bit, resting my chin on a fist. "How are you?" My voice was quiet, gentle. As though he would shatter if I talked any louder. 

His eyes met mine and my breath caught in my throat. Even seventy years later, he had the same effect on me. Gorgeous sea-colored eyes scanned my face, scanning for any sort of recognition he could find. Something flashed in his eyes as he spotted the dog tags around my neck, and he reached forwards to touch them with a tentative hand. My eyes never left his as he pulled them up to observe them. His name was inscribed on both, each with his military numbers from WWII. His hand then slid up, letting go of the dog tags to brush against my neck. His fingers were rough and calloused, yet his touch was gentle. He reached higher and higher until he reached my ear. There, he tucked a loose strand of hair back behind my ear. His fingers brushed against my cheek like a forbidden whisper, making me yearn for more. 

My heart hurt with how much I wanted to hold him, touch him, kiss him. The love for the man in front of me I had pushed down for decades resurfaced in a tsunami of memories and feelings. I reached my hand up and brushed against his cheek with the back of it. I took it up higher and held his hair in a soft grip, running the tips of my fingers through it. He leaned into my touch a little bit, just enough to warm my heart. Even if his mind didn't remember me, his heart and body did. 

I removed my hand after a few minutes, standing up abruptly. Reality sunk in, and I looked at Steve with rage in my soul. "How long have you known?" 

"Hmm?" Steve frowned, his mouth full of crackers. "Known what?"

"Known he was alive?" I clarified, taking another step towards the man. 

Steve, in turn, took a step back. "A few months, but I wanted to be sure before I approached you."

I closed my eyes to try and calm the fire raging in me, "You mean to tell me he's been alive, with you and god knows who else aware of it, and you didn't tell me?!"

Steve cringed a bit as he nodded.

With that clarification, I jumped onto the poor man. Swinging my fists and growling, I attacked Steve with no mercy. I was on top of him for a short minute before I was lifted off kicking and screaming. "Let go of me! Let me at him!"

Bucky cradled my legs as he carried me bridal style, walking away from a dazed super soldier. "Be quiet." It was the first time he talked all night. His voice was gruff but reeked of power and business. 

I stayed silent, enjoying the feel of Bucky's arms around me. Cold metal hit my warm skin, making me jump. My eyes widened as I looked at Bucky's left arm. In place of flesh and bone was cold metal and gears. Looking from the metal arm to Bucky's eyes, my mouth gaped. "What happened to your arm?" I squeaked.

Bucky ignored me as he took me up the stairs and to the attic. I was impressed he knew where to go. He must've been staying here for a bit to know where to go.

That made me happy and mad, mainly at Steve. _That goddamned idiot._

Bucky plopped me down on the fluffy white sheets and stood in front of me with crossed arms.

I looked up at him and then down at the arm, repeating the process several times. 

A thought appeared in my mind as I looked at my love's new arm. "Do you know who I am?" I knew I didn't want to hear the answer, but I needed to. I needed to know if my love remembered me. 

Bucky's eyebrows furrowed as he thought about my question. He ran a hand through his long brown locks and groaned. "Yes. No. Ahh..." He hissed, holding his head. "I don't know, but I feel things when I around you. Things I can't remember ever feeling before. I know that I know you, but I can't remember you."

My heart hurt for the man in front of me. He looked so lost, so dazed and confused. All I wanted to do was hug him till he had no air left in his lungs. But I made no movement nor sound, just stood there staring at the broken man in front of me. Groaning, I stood up from the bed and walked past him, heading towards the little bathroom off by the staircase. I needed a nice shower to clear my thoughts. 

After wrapping myself in a towel, I soon realized I had no clothes with me, save for the dress I had worn at the party. Frowning, I peeked out the door to see Bucky lying on the bed with an arm over his eyes. I scurried over to my closet on the opposite side of the room, hoping there would be some clothes left from before I moved out. To my dismay, there was only a suitcase of men's clothes, probably Buckys, and a backpack full of notebooks and folders, packed to the brim with pictures and files. With no other choice at hand, I grabbed an old gray t-shirt from Bucky's suitcase, and a pair of his boxers. God knew how he would react to me in these; a stranger wearing his clothes. 

I walked out of the closet, similar to a timid rabbit. Bucky hadn't moved from when I last saw him, so I figured he was asleep. 

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" His rough voice sounded.

I closed my eyes with a cringe and looked back at him. 

He was sitting up now, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. 

"I have no other clothes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Bucky nodded, barely taking in what I had said. He laid back down and went back to sleep almost instantly. 

I tucked him under the covers and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. After making sure he was okay on his own, I wandered down the stairs to go yell at Steve "stay in someone else's house, it's cool, yo" Rogers. 

"Hey," Steve smiled, looking up from his mug of coffee. "You two look as though you never left each other. That's good, right?"

I just stared at him with a pointed look, not saying a word. 

"I mean you two deserve happiness, so when I found him, I was like 'Hallelujah! Win will be happy again!'"

"Hallelujah, my ass, Rogers," I spat. "You knew the love of my life was alive, and you kept it from me."

"I didn't want to hurt you if he wasn't the same," He started, getting a bit angrier with me.

"I don't fucking care if he's not the exact same, I just want my Bucky back!" 

" _Your_ Bucky?" Here we go again, fighting like animals. "He was my best friend before he was your fuck buddy!"

I scoffed. " _Fuck buddy?"_

Steve's face fell. "That's not what I-"

"Let's get something straight here,  _Captain_ ," My tone was mocking, tearing down my friend's title. "We were not fuck _buddies_. I'm surprised you even said it like that, everyone knows you don't swear."

Steve gave me a hard look. "Don't go there with me."

"I'll go wherever I want to go with you, you jackass!" I took a menacing step towards him. "One, you don't tell me he's alive. Two, you bring him to  _my_ old house without me knowing. Three, you take me here without any warning or preparation. And four, you have the nerve to insult  _me_!" 

"Winnie, I-"

"No. I don't want to hear your excuses. I'm going to bed," I stormed up the stairs to the second level, taking one of the old guest bedrooms. 

 

The next morning, regret filled my thoughts to an exploding degree. I didn't mean to take out my frustration at him, but I couldn't help it. Sometimes you just need to get your anger out. For me, I do it to the ones I love. I needed to know why Steve hid this from me, the real reason.

Walking down the stairs, I saw Steve sitting at the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee once again in his hands. 

"Hey," I said in a soft voice, walking around the island so I could face him.

"Hey," Steve had a bit of remorse in his voice as well, though it was mainly in his face. 

"I'm sorry about last night," I frowned, grabbing a pack of bacon from the fridge. "I didn't mean to lash out at you like that, I was just-"

"Frustrated," Steve finished for me.

I turned to him with a smile.

"Me too," He sighed, leaning his head back a bit.

"I need you to tell me the truth, Steve," I said. My smile had since faded, and I knew this would not be a fun conversation.

"The truth?" 

"Don't play innocent with me," I growled. "I wasn't born yesterday."

"I'm aware, you old lady," Steve brightened the mood.

I laughed, my anger sizzling down to little more than nothing.

"They're looking for him," The humor in his voice was long gone by now.

"Who?" 

"Everyone. Remember the bombing in Vienna?" 

I nodded with frowning brows.

"They think it's Bucky. They're basing it off a single picture," Steve shakes his head. "I was looking for him for years without a trace, and here's a picture of him out of nowhere. It didn't make sense."

"So you went and found him for yourself, didn't you?"

"Yes, and I brought him to you."

I scoffed. "I'm holding a criminal? And you think he'll be safe here?"

Steve nodded. "For the time being, yes."

"He won't last here on his own," I pointed out. There was only a small town a few miles away, and with a worldwide search for him, he'd be recognized instantly. 

"That's why you're staying with him," Steve winked. "I already contacted Stark and Pepper. You're going away on a vacation to clear your head after that crazy explosion you did to Stark."

"You imbecile!" I lunged at him. "You think I would just agree to this just like that?"

"Yup," He said popping the p. "I've got to go, actually, so have fun, and call me on the recyclable phone I left by the fireplace."

"Steve!" I called after him, grabbing his arm. 

"I love you, country girl," He kissed my cheek, and, in a brother-like fashion, ruffled my hair. "Help him. For all of our sakes."

I nodded with a solemn expression. "Of course."

I waved as Steve drove off in his beat-up car, disappearing into the corn fields. Turning around, I squealed as I saw Bucky right behind me with a thoughful expression.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I appreciate any time spent reading my fanfics. 
> 
> Don't forget kudos and comments, and I love edits and feedback, plus any ideas/moments wanted to be included. 
> 
> Thanks for trying this story out! 
> 
> \- Zozolively


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